Lower School Announcements – November 7, 2016 – Savannah Christian Preparatory School

Save the Date

Fourth Grade Field Trip to the Savannah Children’s Theatre 13 Colonies: November 7
Second Grade Field Trip to the Savannah Children’s Theatre The Weather Show: November 8
Lower School Mock Elections: November 8
NO SCHOOL: November 11, Veterans’ Day
NEHS’s Operation Christmas Child Collection Week: November 14-18
Book Fair: November 14-18
Grandparents’ Days: November 17 and 18
Thanksgiving Holidays: November 21-25

Fifty 4th and 5th grade students recently received letters informing them of the opportunity to enroll in the Duke Talent Identification Program. These students are able to register based on their outstanding standardized test scores from the 2015-2016 school year or entrance assessment. To qualify students must score at or above the 95th percentile in specific subtests on the Stanford 10. Fourteen other 5th grade students qualified and enrolled last year. Students who enroll are able to participate in above level testing, like the PSAT 8/9, as well as engaging classes called Academic Adventures. We look forward to featuring some of the stories from these students!

The Lower School gave our Upper School Track Team a great Raider send-off on Thursday!

The National Elementary Honor Society will be collecting shoebox gifts for Operation Christmas Child through the Samaritan’s Purse ministry. Our lower school collection will be November 14 -18. Today each student was given a “How to Pack a Shoebox” brochure. For those who would donate a shoebox filled with gifts, remember to include the $7 check donation to cover shipping. Samaritan’s Purse uses the phrase “the power of a simple gift.” Since 1993, more than 113 million boys and girls from over 130 countries have been the joyful recipients of shoebox gifts. Operation Christmas Child’s goal is to spread the “Good News” of God’s love to children throughout the world. Will you join us in this goal by preparing a shoebox, and please pray for the children who will be receiving your gifts.

During this month’s Barnabas chapel, 23 students were recognized for their Faithfulness. These students will enjoy a lunch with our Counselor, Cindy Burnsed, on Monday, November 14th.

The Barnabas characteristic for November/ December is hardworking. Mrs. Burnsed has updated her door display with information about this trait. Stop by to learn more!

Grandparents’ Days are almost here! On Thursday, November 17, Eckburg will fill with the joyful noises of our PreKindergarten (9:00am), Kindergarten (9:45am), First Grade (10:30am), and Second Grade (11:15am). The older students will present their musical stylings on Friday, November 18th. Third Grade will perform at 9:00am, Fourth Grade at 10:00am, and Fifth Grade at 11:00am. There will be refreshments, a visit to the classrooms, and a photographer to capture that special memory with your grandchild on both days.

Grandparents’ Day is quickly approaching, and that means it is time to prepare our fundraising baskets. However, with Hurricane Matthew affecting so many of our school families, PTF decided to take the burden off of each individual classroom and Room Parent. This year, each grade level is assigned a theme, and PTF volunteers will assemble baskets. Click HERE to find a list of themes with examples. You do not have to stick with the suggested items. We welcome your creativity! We are also in need of several empty baskets or containers to display the items. If you would like to give something outside of your assigned theme, please feel free! Collection boxes will be at all three carpool areas (morning and afternoon) on November 9th-10th. If you would rather, you may also drop off your donation at the front office. Thank you immensely for your support of the PTF and our school! Please note, this is a voluntary fundraiser, and you are not required to donate. The funds raised will go directly back into our children’s classrooms. Love and Blessings, Corrie Gee

Pre-Kindergarten learned about Nocturnal Animals! They went on a flashlight hunt around their classrooms looking for animals who are awake at night! Then, they completed a nocturnal animals craft and wrote about one animal they saw on their adventure!

Each week our fifth graders study and break apart mentor sentences to better understand great writing. Then we revise and imitate those sentences to hone our craft! We’ve sure got the “write” stuff!

In social studies, the fourth graders learned about the Electoral College. To help them understand the concept they talked about donuts. They had to vote whether they wanted chocolate or glazed. They were told that each classroom gets one electoral vote and there are 25 classrooms in the school. We then voted in our classroom to find the majority for our class. We also learned how abstaining from the vote can affect the outcome. We also learned about absentee ballot. They discovered that just because the majority of their class wanted glazed donuts that might not be the outcome when all 25 electoral votes would be counted. After this lesson they all have a much better understanding of how the upcoming election works.

Third grade had a fantastic field trip to Old Fort Jackson on October 27. We learned all about what life was like for the soldiers during the Civil War. We even got to participate in firing a cannon.

Our second grade classes spent an afternoon exploring pumpkins. Parent volunteers assisted each small group in estimating seeds, determining the circumference, predicting the height, as well as counting the ribs. Did you know that more ribs means more seeds? Also, the darker the color the older the pumpkin.

Our first grade students learned about Georgia O’Keeffe, an American abstract painter. Students created original flower drawings inspired by Georgia O’Keeffe. Students drew large flowers to fill the space of their paper. Students then drew a variety of creative patterns in the petals of the flowers. The flowers were colored using oil pastels.

The fifth grade reading classes have successfully escaped from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library! The students used their Destiny skills and knowledge of the Dewey Decimal System to solve riddles and locate books with clues hidden inside. To celebrate their success students were invited to a “Lemoncello” party in the Pecan Grove on Thursday.

Mrs. Crosby awarded 250 Reading Counts certificates to Krisha Bodalia, Skylar Thornton, and Noah Hickman. Aiden Lee achieved the silver 1,000 point certificate! Congratulations to Noah Hickman, our newest millionaire! He has read 1,093,233 words so far this year!

As one of the foundational documents of our Nation, the Gettysburg Address stands the test of time for its message of freedom and equality. Being” Getty Ready” encourages learners to memorize, study and apply the morals and values described in the Gettysburg Address every year. Our fifth graders have learned to apply the larger values and lessons of the Gettysburg Address to modern life: to appreciate a government of the people, have respect for all and give equal treatment to all, and to find strength in resolving conflicts with civility and courage.